Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
An 1887 portrait of General and Governor Lucius Fairchild
Fairchild Portrait by John Singer Sargent
After losing an arm at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, General Lucius Fairchild returned to Wisconsin, eventually serving as governor for three successive terms (1866-1872). Fairchild devoted much of his retirement to veterans' interests, however, and at the time of this portrait, Fairchild was national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Civil War veterans. In the 1870s and 1880s Fairchild received several diplomatic appointments to European nations, serving in England, France, and Spain. The artist, John Singer Sargent, was one of the great painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, earning a reputation for his portraits of the influential and powerful.
| Related Topics: |
Wisconsin in the Civil War Era The Iron Brigade, Old Abe and Military Affairs |
| Creator: | Sargent, John Singer |
| Pub Data: | Wisconsin Historical Museum. (Museum object #1942.305) |
| Citation: | Sargent, John Singer. "Lucius Fairchild." portrait. Wisconsin Historical Museum. Online facsimile at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1382; Visited on: 4/24/2024 |
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